Topic study hub
Using the Earth's resources and obtaining potable water
Study Using the Earth's resources and obtaining potable water as part of Using resources for AQA GCSE Chemistry 8462. This topic hub pulls together approved learning objectives, flashcards, MCQs, exam-style questions, answer explanations, revision notes, key terms, common mistakes, exam tips, and mini practice tests where they are published. Use the overview first to understand the curriculum structure, then move into the practice tools to test recall, apply ideas, and check explanations against the specification wording. When revising Using the Earth's resources and obtaining potable water, keep answers specific to the subtopic and use the linked objective pages to separate nearby Chemistry concepts before attempting questions.
44
Objectives
220
Flashcards
220
Questions
90 min
Study time
AQAGCSEChemistryUsing resources
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Syllabus checklist
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44 objective pages available
Using the Earth's resources and sustainable development10 objectives
- Describe examples of resources used by humans for warmth, shelter, food and transport.
- Explain that natural resources can be supplemented or replaced by agricultural and synthetic products.
- Give examples of natural products and the agricultural or synthetic products that can replace them.
- Distinguish finite resources from renewable resources using given information.
- Explain how finite resources from the Earth, oceans and atmosphere can be processed to provide energy and materials.
- Define sustainable development as meeting current needs without preventing future generations from meeting their needs.
- Explain how chemistry can improve agricultural and industrial processes to support sustainable development.
- Extract and interpret resource information from charts, graphs and tables. (WS 3.2; MS 2c, 4a)
- Use orders of magnitude to judge the significance of resource data. (MS 2h)
- Translate resource information between graphical and numerical forms. (MS 4a)
Potable water14 objectives
- Define potable water as water that is safe to drink.
- Distinguish potable water from chemically pure water.
- Explain why potable water should have low levels of dissolved salts and microbes.
- Describe how fresh water sources are selected to produce potable water in the UK.
- Describe filtration through filter beds as part of potable water treatment.
- Describe sterilisation as part of potable water treatment.
- Recall chlorine, ozone and ultraviolet light as sterilising methods for potable water.
- Explain why the treatment required depends on the available water source and local conditions.
- Compare treatment of ground water with treatment of salty water.
- Describe desalination as a method for obtaining potable water from salty water or sea water.
- Compare distillation and membrane processes such as reverse osmosis for desalination.
- Explain why desalination processes require large amounts of energy.
- Give reasons for the steps used to produce potable water.
- Carry out analysis and purification of water samples from different sources, including pH testing, dissolved solids and distillation. (Required practical 8; AT 2, 3, 4)
Waste water treatment10 objectives
- Explain why urban lifestyles and industrial processes produce waste water that needs treatment.
- Describe sewage as waste water that contains organic matter and harmful microbes.
- Explain that industrial waste water may contain organic matter and harmful chemicals.
- Describe screening and grit removal as early stages of sewage treatment.
- Explain how sedimentation separates sewage sludge from effluent.
- Describe anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge.
- Describe aerobic biological treatment of effluent.
- Compare the relative ease of obtaining potable water from waste water, ground water and salt water.
- Explain why waste water must be treated before it is released into the environment.
- Interpret information about waste water treatment processes.
Alternative methods of extracting metals10 objectives
- Explain that metal ores are limited resources.
- Explain why new copper extraction methods are needed as high-grade copper ores become scarce. (HT only)
- Describe phytomining as using plants to absorb metal compounds from soil. (HT only)
- Explain how harvested plants are burned to produce ash containing metal compounds. (HT only)
- Describe bioleaching as using bacteria to produce leachate solutions containing metal compounds. (HT only)
- Describe how copper can be obtained from solutions of copper compounds by displacement using scrap iron. (HT only)
- Describe how copper can be obtained from solutions of copper compounds by electrolysis. (HT only)
- Compare phytomining and bioleaching with traditional mining in terms of moving and disposing of rock. (HT only)
- Evaluate biological methods of metal extraction from information provided. (HT only)
- Distinguish extracting copper from low-grade ores from extracting metals by reduction with carbon.
Key terms
sustainable developmentfinite resourcesnatural resourcessynthetic productsnatural productsrenewable resourcesagricultural processeschartsgraphsorders of magnituderesource datagraphical form
Exam tips
- Understand Resource Examples: Familiarize yourself with specific examples of resources used for warmth, shelter, food, and transport, as these are common exam topics.
- Understand Resource Substitution: Remember to when studying natural resources, make sure to learn specific examples of how they can be replaced by agricultural or synthetic products. Link your answer to Using the Earth's resources and sustainable development in Using the Earth's resources and obtaining potable water, and keep the biology specific to natural resources.
Common mistakes
- Misunderstanding Resource Examples: Focus on specific examples such as wood or coal for warmth, bricks or concrete for shelter, crops like wheat for food, and vehicles like cars or bicycles for transport.
- Confusing Natural and Synthetic Resources: To fix this, remember that natural resources are materials obtained from the Earth, while synthetic products are man-made alternatives created through chemical processes.
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